Fluorescent lamp tubes have been used to light schools, offices and industrial sites for decades. Recently, the need to provide more efficient lamps has driven the design of new tube-type lamps that emit either the same or higher lumen energy using less electrical power than previous lamps. For example, those skilled in the art will recognize that older T-8 and T-12 lamps can be replaced by new T-5 lamps that can emit more lumens of light energy while consuming less power than their older and larger predecessors.
One consequence of the popularity of the new T-5 lamp is the need for new mounting assemblies. The T-5 is not only a smaller diameter lamp tube, but it is also slightly shorter than its older counterparts and will not fit in a mounting assembly (or “reflector” or “fixture”) that was designed for the T-8 and T-12 lamps. Thus, if a facility manager decides to change over from T-8 or T-12 lamps to T-5 lamps, it has been necessary to replace all of the reflector assemblies in a facility so that the smaller, shorter T-5 lamp can be installed. As a consequence, replacing old lamps has required replacement of old fixtures as well, a cost factor that acts as a disincentive to changing from the older, less efficient lamps to the newer and much more efficient types.